


The Days and the Dead

by SwimmingTiger



Category: Star Stable
Genre: Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-26
Updated: 2018-11-26
Packaged: 2019-08-22 10:14:33
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,537
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16595924
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SwimmingTiger/pseuds/SwimmingTiger
Summary: Miranda introduces the new Moorland to an old family tradition





	The Days and the Dead

Jenna watched Thomas Moorland pace the grounds of the stables, picking up tools or sacks of grass seed and setting them down elsewhere, then circling around to find tools he'd misplaced. In the last couple years, he'd realized that the place was looking a little run down. He and Justin had spoken of renovating, it was a project Mr. Moorland had on his to-do list for almost as long as Justin was alive. Something just... always seemed to jump in the queue for his attention and energy ahead of it. It was a cool October morning, and he was talking to himself and shaking his head as he paced, holding an ax over one shoulder. Jenna frowned. She heard him wonder aloud 'where all the helpful stable girls were _now_ '.

There was no shortage of girls, really, Mr. Moorland just wasn't great at delegating tasks, and Jenna usually took it upon herself to do so. But Jenna knew her employer, and this sort of agitation was due to something deeper. A glance at her phone reminded her of the date- Catherine's birthday had just passed. Jenna signed. Thomas Moorland was always a little... off around the end of October, anyway, so the desire to renovate was probably more about that. She approached the man, after placing a new sheet of paper on her trusty clipboard, and asked what he needed at the moment. 

"Oh, Jenna. Have you seen Miranda? Usually she's right here ready to help us out. And I could really use her seeing as Justin is still...ah... having some time off." He picked up a shovel from one wall and set it against the barn, five feet away. He didn't seem angry, just anxious 

"She.. went home for a bit, remember? Had some family uh... stuff. She should be back any day though?" Jenna shifted from one foot to another. Miranda had told them both the exact nature of her family matters, but Mr Moorland had clearly forgotten them in his hustling and bustling to fix up the place, and Jenna thought it best to give the woman some time before inundating her with chores. "I think she said she'd be back for Halloween?" She tried, thinking a week would suffice. 

But Thomas had spotted someone - someone who looked a lot like his absent employee-  near the main house, and excused himself quickly. 

"Wait! Mr. Moorland please give her some space, her mother just..." Just then a group of young girls ran up to her, eager to meet their assigned horses. Jenna smiled down at them, hoping Mr. Moorland went easy on Miranda. 

 *** 

Meanwhile, Miranda Shadowborn was doing quite a bit of fretting of her own.

After a year and half of hospitals, and homesickness, and clinical trials, and "cures", she was hoping to come home to a place that was familiar and quiet. Moorland wasn't "home" really, California was, but she and her daughter (and boyfriend) found themselves returning, again and again, over the years.  When her daughter Zoe turned sixteen, she had opted to attend school in Jorvik City, and they were all eager to return to their horses and the island life. But life has a way of not going according to plan, and Miranda found she was compelled to stay in Los Angeles, while Jamie and Zoe headed back. After the funeral came months of packing, and after that she hugged her sisters and brother, and boarded the plane to the island once more.  

Even before Miranda got off the bus, she could sense the changes almost before she saw them. The trees, for one, smelled different. There were new flowers, and fewer of the waxy inkberry bushes. Even the grass was different. Softer, greener. She attributed that to the rainy season James had mentioned in an email. The changes at the stables were more startling - gone was the high walls, and much of the greenery that she was accustomed to. Several of the fences had been ripped out, and she partly agreed with that as they were more often then not a danger to the newer girls, who wanted to try and jump their horses over everything before they were ready. The rest was ... too different. It was taking too long for her brain to process the changes. She spent a few days in bed, under the darkness of her covers, before forcing herself to go out and face it all. 

That morning had been filled with chores and tasks, as she tried to find items for a very special dinner she was preparing on Friday. She had run out to see what flowers were still growing around Moorland, and then remembered she didn't have vases, so she ran back to the main houses pantry and decided Mason jars would have to do. She wiped her brow and moved onto her next task- checking the pantry for anything vaguely resembling things she could make enchiladas or chile rellenos out of, and mentally chastised herself for not bringing, at the very least, some dried chiles home from the States. The pantry and fridge were lacking, and she cursed at the thought of having to squeeze in a trip to Jorvik City before Friday, on top of everything else she needed to do. There were still candles to find, bread to bake, offerings to produce, and an alter to assemble. She was rushing to take some sugar skulls and silk marigolds and paper flowers (that she _had_ remembered to grab while back home) to the table in the dining hall, when she ran smack into Thomas Moorland. A single small sugar skull toppled from her hand and crashed to the floor. 

"Miranda! Where have you been there's so much to do! I need you to..." 

But Miranda had burst into tears. 

She had been holding them back for days. Weeks maybe. Since her arrival back on the Island. On the plane, at the airport, and the bus ride here. She'd successfully avoided them when Mrs. Holdsworth, full of concern and the intuitive knowledge that Miranda was hurting, had tried to call her over for tea and to see 'how she was'. As she dodged texts from Avalon, from Elizabeth, from Linda- who all seemed to know she was in pain but didn't know her well enough to see that she was trying to push the pain down. To ignore it. She hadn't cried since before the funeral. She had to be the strong one. The who held it together. 

Standing in front of her sometime-boss, who wasn't necessarily angry though it sounded like it to _her_ , everything fell apart. Miranda had no sisters or brother or nephews to bolster here. No dear aunt to prop up, and joke with in order to get through the goddamn ordeal of the wake. Even her Zoe was off at school. With no one around requiring her to pretend at strength, the dam holding everything back had cracked and Miranda did too. 

It was then that Mr Moorland remembered why she had taken time off. 

"Oh Miranda, I'm so sorry about your mom..." 

He let her cry for a good half hour, allowing a few tears of his own to fall. His own sense of propriety dictated that a pat on the shoulder was all he could and should manage for a sort-of employee, but his own sense of loss took over and he swept her into an immense bear hug. It seemed to work, and Miranda allowed the contact, and to be led to the kitchen for a hot cup of tea.  

Mr. Moorland waited until her sobs had died down and she'd had a few sips of tea to speak. 

"My adopted family- the Moorlands, they took me in when they were well into their sixties, and were close to a hundred when they passed. It wasn't easy, but it wasn't unexpected. Then.." Mr. Moorland choked on a sob, and took a deep breath, "Then my Catherine went... So suddenly. No time to process it." He looked down at his tea-cup, stirring the break down the sugar lump still dissolving inside. "I imagine its not easy whether or not you know what's coming." 

"It really isn't." Miranda agreed. She wanted to change the subject but also to allow Mr. Moorland his own time for grief. She couldn't imagine losing a _partner_. "It was her birthday recently wasn't it?". 

Thomas nodded. "She didn't care much for Halloween. Her birthday was always surrounded by skulls and coffins and _death_. We always made sure _her_ day was as bright and cheerful as possible." He took another deep shuddering breath. "I let the girls decorate, but Jenna knows to tell them when its too much."

Miranda understood. She loved Halloween, normally, but couldn't stand looking at the coffins and fake cemeteries popping up on peoples lawns in the weeks before her flight. She pushed the sugar skulls and paper flowers a little further from him. "I'll try to keep the skulls to a minimum. I already broke one." She said gloomily. 

"Is that all for Halloween?" He asked, eyeing the bright bouquet of carefully folded crepe flowers and the string of orange and yellow marigolds. There were a handful of skulls as well, but they were not the usual grim and gray ones- they were dotted with colorful icing, and painted on flowers. 

"No." She shook her head. "This is a Mexican tradition. Day of the Dead?" She waited for recognition but Mr. Moorland just raised his bushy eyebrows and shook his head slightly. "I thought it was bigger these days." Miranda said, managing a smile. "Day of the Dead is when we gather together things that our loved ones- who have passed- liked when they were alive, and we make alters and decorate them with these things. We put their photos, their favorite food and drinks, and marigold flowers as offerings, since they believe that the dead come back to visit for a day. So we celebrate _that_ , and _them_ instead of mourning. It's the two days after Halloween- the first is for children and pets, the second is for adults. I'm usually more prepared for it but this year I... I don't have enough." She looked down at her empty tea cup as the tears began again. 

Mr. Moorland passed her the napkins and got up to refill the tea. "Is there... uh.. a minimum amount of things that are needed?" He asked. He genuinely liked the idea of the holiday, of celebrating with flowers and colorful things.

Miranda blew her nose and shook her head. "No. Nothing like that, its just... She just... She deserved so much more than what I have here." Miranda shrugged, resigned. 

Thomas looked at the armful of flowers and skulls. He wondered how much was enough, would _ever_ be enough to show your love for your departed. His heart hurt for the girl. He patted her on the shoulder. "You went back to care for her. You were there through it all. That's a lot. And I'm sure she knew you did all you could. Just, just do what you can, this time." 

With that Miranda nodded and scooped up her decorations once more. "I'm going to use the buffet table in the dining hall, if its ok with you?"

"Sure, sure. Whatever you need." He nodded, folding his hands on the table in the darkening kitchen. 

"Um... just.. whatever candles you can spare. I'll go look for flowers in a bit." She stopped at the doorway. "That's all I can think of right now. Thanks Mr. Moorland." She said quietly, turning to open the door, then paused and turned back to him after a beat. "The place looks nice. Different. But um... nice". Miranda gestured out the window at the changed scenery. "What brought all this on?"

Thomas cleared his throat. "Well. I remembered that we had planned on fixing the place up when we took over, Catherine and I. But then she was gone, and I had to raise Justin on my own. Things fell by the wayside. I was out riding one day and realized how overgrown it had gotten. How out of control. She had wanted to open it up more. Beach views and all. So... " His voice was low and quiet. "So I decided to get to work on the plans we had started. Get some of the clutter out. Its far from finished but... It needed doing. It was time." 

"Well, like with everything, it'll take some getting used to, but yeah- it looks good." She nodded absently and looked out at the cleaned up courtyard. "Oh and ... I, um... I was going to put a photo of Catherine as well, if that would be alright." She winced. She had been planning on it, and asked Justin for a picture ahead of time, but now realized she should probably get permission first just in case.  

"I would be honored. I'm sure she would too." Mr Moorland smiled, his eyes crinkling at the corners. 

As Miranda went back to her room, he noticed a shopping list that must have fallen out of her bundle. He pulled his reading glasses out of his shirt pocket and struggled to read her loopy handwriting. 

  * candles & holders
  * flowers & ~~vases~~
  * tortillas
  * ~~mole sauce~~  (this was scratched out by an angry hand)
  * enchilada sauce
  * pan de muerto (which was followed by a list of ingredients and hastily scribbled recipe)
  * chicken
  * rice & beans
  * fresh fruit- apples, oranges, figs, pomegranates (?) 
  * frames 
  * a tablecloth
  * fabric and a sewing machine??? 
  * yarn and knitting needles
  * a guitar ???
  * ~~coffee & tea~~
  * Tequila ???
  * cigar/s
  * popcorn 
  * soda 
  * tissue paper for papel picado
  * ~~a pitcher for water~~
  * ~~a bowl for salt~~



The list went on and on. Mr. Moorland assumed she had scratched out many of the food items due to the lack of ingredients here. He frowned. And if the lack of crossed off items were any indication, she needed more than just "candles and flowers". 

Mr. Moorland pulled out his cell phone and texted Justin "I need to borrow your computer- is the password still 'LASAGNA'?" 

After a few extensive internet searches he began making calls and texts. 

He texted Donald the baker, and Harold the tailor, and James, and Josh, whom he knew he had a guitar in his wagon at some point. He walked over to Conrad the blacksmiths to see if he had any nice candelabras and possibly a cigar. The more "yes" answers he got, the more inspired he felt. 

Mrs. Packard was confused but had offered to bring some knitting things and mentioned that she could send Andy to pick some apples. Bjorn was hesitant to dig up this seasons prized Marigolds but when Agnetha heard they were for a "Day of Death" she offered them all up with haste. Dorith said to send a stable girl for some popcorn kernels and baked goods and Filip Sunfield agreed to send over a nice big hen. 

By the time he dialed the mayor of Dundell the sun had set. 

"Hi Doctor Eiren, its Thomas Moorland. Yes, I'm well, thank you, and how are things with you? Oh that's wonderful. Good to hear. Ah, I was just wondering if you could ask the missus for a favor-  I know you all have your share of fruit that grows out of season, yes I know its strange but... would you have any pomegranates? How about figs? Oh that's great. If you'd like you can bring them by on Friday. Bring the whole family! Stay for supper, even. We're ah... doing something new. Alright. Look forward to seeing you. My regards to Sigry and Rania. Ok, buh bye." 

He flipped his phone shut and looked down at the nearly completed grocery list. 

"The security guard will probably have confiscated some booze..." He murmured, opening the phone once more. 

***

By Friday morning, Miranda was ready to scrap the idea of the alter. She had found very few of the things she _did_ remember from her missing grocery list, and just didn't have the energy to haul herself over Jorvik City to look for an international market. She'd mentioned it on the phone with Jamie, who was there working with a new company, and he said he'd do his best to look, but she didn't want him distracted while he was started out at a new job. On Halloween, Zoe had come by with witches hats and pumpkins and she and Miranda spent the afternoon carving faces into the gourds, and in the evening they passed out candy to the stable girls. Thursday Zoe went back to her classes and Miranda was left not wanting to get out of bed. She did prep the chicken that Mr. Moorland said was in the fridge for her to use for dinner... roasting it with onions and garlic and as many spices as she could find in the pantry. And she set a pot of beans to soak the night before, so they'd be ready for Friday night. 

 _I said I'd make dinner, its the least I can do_. She thought to herself as she dragged her tired bones from the comfort of the bed. She threw some jeans and a hoodie on and  trudged into the kitchen. She found Jamie there, dropping bags of groceries on the counter.

"Oh hey!" He called, strolling over to kiss her on the cheek. "I found... tortillas and a couple of cans of sauce. Not mole, but green salsa is ok right? And I got cheese and... rice. And you need tomato sauce for that right? I got some of that too. I couldn't find everything, but I hope this'll do " 

"What are you... Why aren't you at work?" She muttered, realizing he'd brought enough goods to make enchiladas for an army. 

"Oh I'm heading out now. I found a market with all this stuff at lunch yesterday." Jamie beamed, gesturing to the wide array of groceries. "And its been forever since I've had your rice and enchiladas." He swooned dramatically. "Alright, I'm off to work, see you tonight!" He gave her another tender kiss on the forehead and hurried out to catch the Jorvik City bus. 

Miranda was stunned, but washed her hands and went through the motions of shredding roast chicken, dicing cabbage, and rolling enchiladas unless she filled two big casserole dishes. Then she drained the beans and refilled the water, adding a hunk of bacon, an onion and a few cloves of garlic to the pot, which she set to simmer. As she exited to the dining room she saw the buffet table had a Featherlight sewing machine and several yards of fabric sitting on it. Conrad was also there, with an armload of candelabras and a framed photograph. He cleared his throat. 

"Ah.. Miranda. Thomas was telling me about the holiday you have planned. This is... was. My younger brother. He died in the mines some years back. If there's room for his favorite pick axe..." He set the photo and armful of wrought iron down and retrieved a familiar tool from the porch. It was the one he'd lent to her so many times before to mine for iron for various projects. "I'd appreciate if you would set it on the table. And -" He reached into his pocket. "Thomas said you needed a cigar." Conrad handed a stunned Miranda a couple of small rolled cigars. "These were the ones _he_ liked." With that he nodded curtly and excused himself. Miranda watched as he strode off down the path to his hut. 

 "What... " Miranda closed her eyes, certain she was dreaming, and retreated to her bunk to shower and prepare for the day. 

Going around the long way around to the dining area, she was met with even more bizarre sights. Jenna had half a dozen girls sitting in a knot at the end of the porch, hurriedly cutting colorful tissue paper with safety scissors. Josh was strolling over, strumming an acoustic guitar that was hanging from his shoulder on a leather strap. Mrs. Packard was walking in the other gate, or at least the place the gate had been, with a huge basket of yarn balls and knitting needles, and her grandson Andy was following behind, struggling with a bushel of shiny red apples. Harold and Donald, from Silverglade, were walking down the hill, each carrying a platter covered with foil, followed by Barney, Marney, and Mrs. Cloudmill. Even James was strolling down with the Security Guard, who was pulling an ice chest along. They were all walking towards Mr. Moorland, who was greeting everyone and shaking hands all around. 

Miranda looked back up the path at a loud chugging and puff of smoke to see Agnetha on a tractor, pulling a trailer of sorts that was overflowing with yellow and orange flowers. More and more familiar faces trooped into Moorlands stable, each bearing colorful or delicious smelling gifts. Sigry, Dr. Eiren and Rania pulled up and started unloading fruits and berries from their Haflingers packs. Dorith from Paddock island was pulling a Red Rider wagon with little Lizzy (or was it Lisa?) holding several small pumpkins, bunches of forget me nots, and a basket of pumpkin hand pies. She was walking with Filip Sunfield, who was leading a great grey Shire horse, being ridden by his daughters Saga and Freja. While everyone else was greeting Mr. Moorland, the Sunfield girls let themselves off the horse and ran up to Miranda instead. 

"Hey Miranda! When dad said you were having a Day of the Dead party, we started making these!" Freja yelped. Saga explained, as Freja pulled sugar skulls from a box, that she had done a report on the holiday back in school and they had ordered a mold to make the sugary creations. Miranda looked down at the mess of frosting and sugar and hugged them both in thanks. As they chatted, Maya Dew approached shyly, and Miranda called her over for a half-hug. 

"Mr. Moorland showed me what you were doing. We don't have much food at home, but we had paper so..." She pulled several delicate, hand cut tissue paper sheets, in a rainbow of colors, from an old school folder she was holding behind her back. There weren't as many dancing skeletons as Miranda was used to, but things Maya liked or knew. Horses, trees, hearts, stars, apples, birds, butterflies and smiling faces: all carefully cut from the thin sheets. Miranda saw the bandages on Mayas fingers and pulled her close for a full hug.

"These are amazing. If we are very careful, we can use them year after year." She whispered to Maya, whose eyes shown with pride. 

At this point Mr. Moorland noticed Miranda, and everyone moved to ask her where to set up at once. Mr. Moorland led them to the dining hall, where two long tables were set against the wall, and Zoe was covering carefully placed boxes with a long, dark tablecloth. Mrs. Packard moved forward with a handful of lace doilies, and Mr Moorland started placing candles in the wrought iron holders that Conrad provided. Miranda quickly ran to put the casseroles in the oven, knowing Zoe would be able to direct everyone in their decorating. Photos were placed- Mrs. Packards husband, Sigrys mother and grandmother, Conrads brother, Doriths parents, an old derby teammate of Dr. Eirens, even a small photo of the old orange barn cat was added.

James set bottles of ice cold soda on the table, shouting to Miranda that he'd send a bill later, until the guard told him to zip it. The guard looked around at the amount of adults present and figured it was safe to set out the small bottles of alcohol that he'd confiscated over time. At least one of them was tequila, he was sure of it. 

Justin had arrived, and helped his dad set Catherine's picture against a box, surrounding it with handfuls of red beach crocus, pink roses, a pair of her old riding gloves, and a cup of the chamomile tea she was fond of. Mrs. Holdsworth had popped in to place a picture of Mississippi Jones (with a vase of dandelions of course). 

Miranda reemerged from the kitchen to help Agnetha make a pathway of Marigold petals. She explained that they smell like bones, and the scent guides the path to and from the underworld. Agnetha was ecstatic and vowed to plant twice as many the next year. Jenna and her charges arrived, with handfuls of paper flowers, which they tied in bunches at the corners of the tables. Maya carefully taped her _papel picado_ to the wall behind the tables. Josh handed Miranda the guitar, and she set it up with a photo of her father, along with a cigar in an ashtray and cup of sweet black coffee. She then moved to make a small sewing area near the picture of her mother. She made a pyramid of yarn balls, and set them next to a large bowl of popcorn and bottle of Coca cola. While there had been no tears before, a hush fell as Miranda opened the platter of the pan de muerto that Harold had successfully made (after a quick internet search), and as she tearfully put out a plate for each photo. She looked at the alter, beautiful and full of color and love. It was festooned with jewelry and food and light and fruit and items that were near and dear to the hearts of her friends. She turned to everyone and managed to choke out a simple "Thank you." 

"When do the ghosts get here?" Andy gulped, and Miranda gestured to the photos.

"They already are. They are here with us now and always." She looked around at her friends, at her little family. Zoe crossed the room to hug her mom, and then she called May and Jenna to come help her retrieve platters of food from the kitchen. In addition to enchiladas, beans and rice, there was a nice potato casserole and roast from Marney and Mrs. Cloudmill, and an autumn salad with apples and walnuts that Barney had provided. "And now we eat. For them!" She lifted a bottle of coke. 

"For them!" Everyone repeated, digging into the feast. 

Though Mirandas mind was still tinged with grief and loss, her heart was full of love and gratitude. As coffee and dessert was served, Josh picked up the guitar and started to play. Zoe and the girls barked out requests and sang bits of lyrics of songs they wanted to hear, and soon everyone was either enjoying the delicious sweet breads or engaging in an enthusiastic sing along. She looked across the table at Mr Moorland, who was patting his belly and eyeing the bottle of bourbon the guard had set aside for them. He had the same look as she did. He nodded and smiled across the table at her. 

" _We should do this every year_ " He mouthed. 

" _We will_." She smiled back. 

 _Moorland may be different now. But maybe its a good different_ , she thought to herself. She could handle good different. 


End file.
